Undeserving
by lady kitsune-tsuki
Summary: He did not want to hurt her any more. He did not deserve to love her. But try as he might to remove himself from her life forever, the pink-haired kunoichi was just too persistent.
1. Prologue

"Why are you treating me like this?!" Her green eyes blazed in anger. She drew up her height as much as possible, trying to use her body language to get the man before her to answer. She could not stand it any longer. She needed answers. "You've ignored me, pushed me away… it's like I don't even exist to you!" Her voice echoed in the empty space. Still the blue-eyed blonde said nothing. He merely stood there, hands dangling by his sides, his face cast down. He did not dare look the angry kunoichi in the eye. She stared at him hoping for an answer, a retort, anything. Her vision blurred as tears formed in her eyes. "What did I do?" she pleaded. Her voice, soft and hurt, seemed to affect her teammate. He had always hated seeing her cry; now he was the cause of it. But then again, he was the cause of so much of her suffering and pain. Naruto looked up into the eyes of the woman before him; his blue eyes reflected her own sorrow. Hidden beneath the blue depths, intense pain consumed his soul. Sakura blinked taken aback by his gaze. She had never seen him look this way. Never before had she seen her teammate so lost in sorrow, but she did not understand. What had happened between them?

In a low, somber voice the man retorted, "Sakura… I'm sorry. I just… can't. Please, just let it go."

Sakura looked at him in confusion. What did he mean? She began to question him again, but he had already turned his back to her.

"Naruto," she called out to him, her voice no more than a whisper. Naruto did not turn around; instead he simply began to walk away. She stared at his back as he left. She bit her lip in protest of the tears that threatened to fall.


	2. Hinata's Birthday

*Disclaimer: I do not own "Naruto" or any related characters*

That was two weeks ago. Sakura saw her blonde teammate occasionally around the village. Each time, he looked right through her as if she did not exist. She had heard from the Hokage that he had been asking for missions, long ones. He seemed to want to escape from her completely. Sakura pushed aside her thoughts to focus on her shopping. The party was tonight and she had yet to find a suitable present.

Later that evening, Sakura came to the entrance of the Hyuuga Manor gift in hand. She hoped Hinata would like it. Most everyone else was there already. Ino and Tenten were giggling, Hinata between them blushing furiously. Kiba and Shikamaru lingered nearby drinks in hand. Choji had positioned himself very near the desert table; he eyed the sweets intently. Sakura glanced around the room, there were a bunch of people there, most she knew, but some she did not. However, one familiar face was no where to be seen. Maybe it wasn't just her he was avoiding, Sakura wondered idly.

She made her way to the birthday girl.

"Happy birthday, Hinata," the pink haired kunoichi handed over her gift.

"Thank you Sakura," Hinata accepted her gift meekly. "Please help yourself to refreshments," she added. Sakura left to grab a drink when Ino caught up to her.

"Hey forehead!"

"Hey," Sakura responded stoically.

"Whoa, what's gotten into you? Are you sick or something?" Ino looked at her friend curiously. Something was wrong; she was not herself. Usually, when Ino called her friend "forehead" she would come back at her with "Ino-pig" or one of their other nicknames. It had become routine for them. For her to respond in such a blank way bothered the blonde.

"Hm," Sakura turned to her friend, "I'm fine."

Ino stared into the green eyes before her. "You know I don't believe you. Something is wrong." The two had become closer after what happened to Sasuke. Ino had gotten to know her rather well in that time.

"It's nothing," Sakura tried to defend herself. At that moment, another guest arrived. Naruto. Sakura watched him enter, her eyes locked onto him. He glanced at her and for a moment the two teammates stared into each other's eyes. Naruto's gaze fell first. Sakura turned her face away from him, trying desperately to hide her anger.

"Nothing, eh. Well it seems that 'nothing' just walked though the door," Ino pulled at Sakura's arm. "Come on, you're going to tell me what's wrong with you two." Sakura gave in. That was one of Ino's strongpoints, she was determined, and she truly did care about her friends. Soon the two girls found themselves alone in one of the nearby rooms. Sakura spilled out months of pent up confusion and anger to a silent and compassionate Ino.

"That doesn't sound like Naruto at all. I mean, he's been in love with you for- well- ever." She stated frankly. "I wonder what's gotten into him." Sakura shrugged; she'd been trying to figure it out for months. She just wanted the old Naruto back; she missed her friend.

After greeting Hinata, Naruto found his way over to Shikamaru and Kiba. The trio contently drank their beers and made small talk. Kiba brought up the topic first, "Hey Naruto, any idea what's up with Sakura?"

"Eh, what do you mean?" The blonde asked looking down at his drink.

"Come on, I'm sure you would have noticed. She's been down for weeks now. You're her teammate and her closest friend, you've gotta know," Kiba stated directly. He received nothing but a slight shrug from the blue-eyed ninja. Kiba stared him down; this was not like his friend. Naruto was crazy about the pink haired girl; he had been since as far back as the hound-nin could remember.

Shikamaru broke the silence, "Finally had enough of the troublesome female?" Shikamaru's voice was rough and blunt. Naruto twitched slightly.

"Yeah, something like that."

"Good for you, she was too much trouble anyway. I mean…" Naruto's clenched fist did not go unnoticed, but the genius pressed further. "… she's so emotional. I really don't know how you put up with having her on your team for so long…" Kiba's eyes grew wide at Shikamaru's words. He had never spoken of Sakura like this before. "… and she's not all that strong really…." Naruto's jaw tightened. Shikamaru's gaze intensified on the man, only a little farther he thought. "…and…."

Naruto could not stand it any longer. He grabbed the Jounin's (check) shirt and stared him strait in the eye. "Don't you dare talk about Sakura like that! She is strong and has the biggest heart of anyone I know. And she's been through hell, how dare you…"

Shika simply smirked, "Thought you didn't care anymore." Blue eyes came to realization. He released the clever ninja's shirt and huffed, mumbling under his breath. Kiba looked at one and then the other; he definitely missed something.

"You should know better than to try and lie to some of your oldest friends," Shikamaru scolded. Naruto let out a heavy sigh.

"What the hell just happened," Kiba's eyes darted between the two. Shikamaru could not help but let out a small chuckle as he threw his arm around his friend.

"We'll talk about it later. Right now, let's just enjoy the party. Kanpai!" Shikamaru raised his beer and the others joined in.

Ino and Sakura rejoined the party. A sense of relief had filled the medic-nin; it had been good talking to her old friend. Sakura decided, for Hinata's sake, as well as her own, she might as well try to enjoy the party.


	3. Sake

*Disclaimer: I do not own "Naruto" or any related characters*

* * *

Sakura had never been able to hold her alcohol well, and tonight was no exception. Temari had challenged the Leaf girls to a bit of a drinking game. Hinata barely lasted the first two rounds. Tenten was holding up surprisingly well, Ino right behind her. Sakura however, was a tipsy mess. The kunoichi was stumbling all over the place and seemed to have lost all her inhibitions.

Shikamaru elbowed Naruto, "Someone should make sure she gets home safe." Naruto glared at his friend.

"Well then, why don't you?"

"I've got to convince that one (pointing to Temari) that she needs to put down the sake bottle; not looking forward to that actually," he let out a sigh. The sand kunoichi rather enjoyed her sake. It would be a bear getting her to call it a night.

"Well what about you?" Naruto asked in Kiba's direction. He and Choji were leaning up against each other trying to remain vertical. They both were barely in shape to get themselves home let alone a drunken Sakura. "There's gotta be someone else who can take her…" the blonde looked around the room. Neji was sure to take Tenten home; Lee was long since gone; Shino would probably flat out refuse; Sai was going to take care of Kiba and Choji… There really was no one else who was fit enough or trustworthy enough to take the pink haired woman home. Naruto sighed.

"Come on, you're her teammate. Isn't it your job to take care of her?" Shikamaru, despite being the genius he was, had no clue how deeply those words cut into Naruto's soul. Naruto said his few short goodbyes before making his way toward Sakura.

"Uh, Sakura, maybe I should see you home," the blonde asked tentatively. Sakura looked at him.

"You want to take me home? You?" She tilted her head to one side in disbelief. "Why do you care?" Her voice was steady; the alcohol in her system let the words form freely in her mouth.

"Come on, let's just get you home," Naruto encouraged her. But the woman just looked at him blankly. Naruto gently put his hand on her back and led her away. He put on her coat for her and made sure she had all of her belongings.

She was wobbly and unsteady on her feet, and the winter snow and patches of ice did not help. He was going to have a little bit of trouble making sure she did not fall. For a while the pair simply walked on in silence the snow crunching beneath their feet.

"Naruto," Sakura broke the silence, "you know, I really care about you." Naruto rolled his eyes; why was it that when intoxicated, people seemed to love anyone around them. The ninja chuckled lightly as he remembered the night Kiba declared his love for him and Ino and Sai and then a lamp… good times- the shinobi thought to himself.

"You don't understand; I really like you Naruto. You've always been there for me and you care about me." Naruto tried his best to ignore what his teammate was telling him. He tried in vain to remind himself that it was the sake speaking, not his Sakura. Still she continued.

"It hurts that you don't like me anymore. I miss …" she stumbled. Naruto reached out for her and held her close. Her green eyes searched his. "I miss you." Naruto grunted and helped her to her feet again. They were almost to her apartment. Once there he could drop her off safely and be on his way. He wasn't sure he could take much more of this.

The stairs were out of the question for Sakura tonight; she had enough trouble with flat surfaces as it was. He scooped the girl into his arms and carried her up the stairs. The girl in his arms wrapped her arms around his neck and nuzzled into his warm chest. The smell of her hair, the warmth of her body, the feel of her light frame made Naruto blush. He fumbled with her keys trying to unlock the door. He looked around her modest apartment; he thought twice about turning on the lights. His drunken teammate would not appreciate the burning light right now. He carried her down to her bedroom and set her down on her bed.

"You'll be ok right?" he asked. She did not answer. He was not completely sure how much she had to drink. Sakura tried to take off her coat and was finding it rather difficult. Naruto looked down at her; he really should help. He reached his hands out cautiously to help her undo the many buttons on her winter coat. He took her coat and hung it up in her closet. He scanned her room for some sort of nightgown. He quickly found a baggie T and flannel pants. He grabbed the items and handed them to his dazed teammate. He guided her to the bathroom and stood outside, listening in case she fell. She emerged after a length of time.

"Ok, now get some sleep. You need it." The girl looked up at him from where she sat on her bed.

"You don't care about me anymore," she stated bluntly.

"Of course I care about you."

Sakura shook her head, "No, not like you use to. You don't love me anymore do you?" Naruto froze. How was he supposed to respond? Green eyes pierced his heart. He could not lie to her.

"Sakura, I do love you, and I always will," his voice low and soft.

"That's what Ino said too, but I don't know. I think it's funny. I finally start falling for you and you don't seem to want me around. Maybe that's just my luck when it comes to love…" her voice trailed off.

Naruto repeated to himself that this was only the sake speaking. She probably would not even remember saying all this to him when tomorrow came. Silent tears fell down the kunoichi's face. Naruto could not stand it. He sat down on her bed near her and gently wiped away her tears. Sakura reached her arms out to him; soon she found herself wrapped up in his strong arms.

She had no idea how this was killing him inside. He should not be here; she should not be saying these things to him. She deserved so much better than him; he had to walk away, that was best for her. But for the moment, he could not let go. He held her close and took in her sweet sent. He loved her so much it hurt.

"Naruto," she whispered, her eyes shifting to reach his. There was a tenderness in her voice, a softness in her eyes that captivated him. "Naruto, I think I love you." Blue eyes filled with tears.

"Sakura," his broken voice called out to her. She moved closer to him, their faces inches apart. She gently tilted her head and closed her eyes, her long lashes resting lightly on her cheeks. Instinctively, he closed his own. Her soft pale lips met his. Pleasure and warmth coursed through his body; never before had he felt this way, so alive, so complete. Sakura leaned into him as if asking for more. He wrapped his arms tighter about her and pulled her into him. Years of desire were expressed in that one kiss. He had waited for so long to kiss the girl he had loved for ages. The pair broke apart to look into each other's eyes.

Naruto shook his head. "I have to go."

"Don't go, stay," Sakura pleaded. Naruto gently pushed the girl away from him. He held onto her shoulders and he kissed her forehead, tears slipped down his cheeks.

"I can't, Sakura. You can't love me." He rose and turned his back on her. She looked at him confused and hurt.

"But… Naruto…"

"Goodbye Sakura." He left her there alone in the darkness.


	4. The Need to Run Away

*Disclaimer: I do not own "Naruto" or any related characters*

* * *

He quickened his pace as he left her apartment. He had to get away from her, far away. He knew he should not have taken her home.

"She was drunk, that's all," Naruto mumbled to himself over and over. "She probably won't remember any of that anyway." He took out his pain and anger on the nearest tree. The tree toppled over itself; its trunk snapped in two. He sulked the rest of the way to his apartment building.

Upon entering his place, he slipped off his shoes, tossed aside his coat and shuffled to his room. He kicked aside an empty ramen cup and flopped onto his unmade bed. He lay there staring up at a dark ceiling. Unconsciously, his fingers ran along his lips; it had been so good to kiss her.

"She didn't mean to do that; she was drunk." The shinobi commented to his empty room. He rolled onto his side. There on his nightstand a familiar, faded picture caught his attention. The old Team 7. How long ago was it now? It seemed little more than a pleasant dream; their time together as a team faded in his memory. Sasuke… Sakura… he failed them all. The picture haunted him; Naruto lifted a heavy hand and placed the picture face down on the nightstand. All of that was over now. All of it was gone and never coming back.

Naruto found himself in the Hokage's office early the next morning.

"Come on, just one mission. Anything!" Naruto pleaded.

"Why is it that you are desperate for a mission right now? New Year's is coming up; you should take this time to spend with those close to you." Tsunade eyed the ninja before her.

"I'm bored," he lied. "I just feel like _doing_ something." Tsunade could not be fooled so easily. She waited for a moment before making up her mind.

"You know that was months ago, you can move on…" she tested the waters.

"Just tell me if you have a mission for me," Naruto answered gruffly. She knew she had hit the right spot. She had been worried about this.

"Alright, I have a small mission here: delivery of confidential property. Shouldn't be dangerous; the information is going to our ally- Suna. Should only take a few days." Naruto nodded pleased with her decision. "You'll have one teammate for this mission. You'll leave tomorrow morning." Tsunade's eyes never left the shinobi before her. Naruto made to leave her office.

"Don't you want to know who you are going with?"

He merely waved his hand dismissively. He really did not care as long as he could leave Konoha.

"You know, before you leave, there has been talk of who will fill my position when I retire… your name has come up…You're about the same age your father was when he became Hokage…" her voice trailed off.

"No." his answer was strong and direct. He did not even turn around to look at her. Without saying another word he left her office.

Tsunade was left to herself still staring at the spot Naruto stood only moments before. He had changed so much since they first met. He was young, full of youthful dreams and ideals. She had watched him mature and grow into an excellent shinobi. He was becoming a force to truly recon with. But the man that came into her office today was not that same Naruto. He had changed again, and she was not pleased with the transformation. She understood what he was going through and she also understood that she could do next to nothing about it. She too had walked a path similar to his. She wondered—who would save him like he had saved her? She hoped it wouldn't be too late for him.

* * *

Naruto packed in preparation for his upcoming mission. He was thrilled to be leaving. He had to get away from the village, from the reminders, the memories, from Sakura. Tomorrow could not come soon enough.


	5. Mission to Suna

*Disclaimer: I do not own "Naruto" or any related characters*

* * *

He waited by the gates. Tsunade said his partner would have the package that needed to be delivered. Naruto shuffled his feet impatiently. The sound of footsteps reached his ears. He looked up to see who was coming. _No, no way in hell is this happening!_ Naruto thought to himself.

"Ready to go?"

"You're my partner for this?" Naruto asked in disbelief.

"Who else should go but your teammate?" Sakura tilted her head and smiled sweetly at him. Naruto grumbled under his breath. Someone had it out for him; this mission was meant to put distance between them, not force them together.

"Let's go, and get this over with as soon as possible," Naruto knew it was no use complaining now. The Hokage needed this delivered, and he could not refuse a mission.

The pair headed out of Konoha. They sped off in silence. Suna was two days trip away.

"Hey Naruto, let's take a short break," Sakura asked. They had been keeping a rather strenuous pace. "We really don't need to over exert ourselves, this is not a time sensitive matter." Naruto grudgingly nodded his head.

The two came to rest under a tall evergreen. The tree line would end soon and they would find themselves in a vast wasteland of sand. Sakura began rummaging through her pack. She tossed Naruto an onigiri.

"Thanks," he managed to say. For a moment neither spoke. Sakura dared to break their silence first.

"So, that was some party eh?"

Naruto gave a noncommittal grunt. "You had quite a bit to drink that night," Naruto took the opportunity to see if she remembered anything from that night.

Sakura blushed, "Well, Temari can be rather persistent. She really wanted to play that drinking game; she just knew she could beat us all." Naruto munched on his onigiri. He did not dare ask her outright if she remembered that evening.

"So, are we going to talk about it?" Sakura asked meekly. A light blush covered her cheeks.

"What are you talking about?" Naruto offered her a way out of the conversation; he just hoped she would take it.

"You know exactly what I'm talking about. When you took me home…" her voice hung dead in the still air.

"You were drunk, not much to talk about," Naruto refused to look at the kunoichi next to him. He finished his snack and rose to his feet. "Let's go."

Sakura nodded, stood up, and brushed some snow off of her before starting off again.

The air around the two was tense and heavy. They did not speak the rest of the day. They bounded through the forest side by side but utterly alone.

The sun slipped from the sky causing the pair to settle down for the night. They prepared their campsite without words. He gathered wood, she set traps, she started dinner, he set up the tent. They usually would just sleep in the open, but it was too cold in December to manage that. A tent was necessary, but he noticed they only brought one. He had not taken into account that _she_ might be his partner for this mission. There would be no choice but to share the small canvassed space for the evening.

"Dinner's ready," Sakura spoke the first words of the evening. They ate their meal in silence. Again Sakura was the first to speak. "Did you mean it?"

"What are you talking about?" Naruto asked emotionlessly.

"What you said that night you took me home. Did you mean it?" She did not look at him as she asked this. She simply pushed the food around on her plate.

"We went over this already, you were drunk. Whatever you think I may have said may be just a wrinkle in your memory."

"No. I know I get tipsy quickly, but it takes a lot for me to forget. Trust me." There was an edge in her voice. Naruto swallowed hard; he was going to have to face this directly.

"I had too much to drink too. I said things… I wasn't thinking."

"You usually don't," Sakura chuckled to herself. "So you did not mean to say you loved me." The blonde did not answer. "I guess that also means you did not mean to kiss me either."

"For the record, _you _started that."

"I guess you're right." Sakura stood from where she sat. "You've changed Naruto. I don't even know you anymore. What happened?" Again the shinobi fell silent. "Fine, don't answer me. I'm going to bed." She left him to himself.

_What do you mean 'what happened'?!? _Naruto thought to himself. Yes he changed. Everything had changed.

He took care of their dinner mess, but paused before entering the tent. It would be hard being so close to her physically. He steeled his resolve and entered the small canvas shelter. He tried to be as quiet as possible so as not to wake his teammate. He settled down in his sleeping bag and closed his eyes. In the quiet he could hear muffled sobs. She was crying. His heart longed to comfort her, to take her in his arms and wipe away her tears. But he could not. He did not deserve to comfort her, to be near her, to love her.


	6. Kazekage

*Disclaimer: I do not own "Naruto" or any related characters*

* * *

The morning could not come soon enough for the two silent shinobi. Naruto hadn't slept a wink while lying next to his childhood love. He had listened to her as she cried herself to sleep. It was hell listening to her sobs and doing nothing. He hated it, but it had to be done. When she woke, she took no notice of him and began preparing for the final league of their trip.

The remainder of their trip to Suna went much the same as the beginning. They did not speak; they did not even look at each other. They reached the desert village without difficulty.

The streets of Suna were different from Konoha. Naruto missed the color green; everything here was brown, tan, or some shade in between. A delegate met them at the gate.

"The Kazekage wishes to speak to you, Uzumaki Naruto," the man spoke formally.

"It would be good to see Gaara," Naruto thought back on how similar they had always been. However, after _that_ incident, Naruto's dreams were forever out of reach while Gaara had attained his. The three made their way past the market place to the Mansion of the Kazekage.

"Welcome, Naruto, Sakura," Kankuro greeted them at the door. "Gaara's finishing up some paperwork at the moment. Um Sakura," Kankuro turned to face the kunoichi, "would you mind checking in on our hospital staff? We've been implementing many of Konoha's medical teachings; it would be great if you could answer some questions."

"I would be delighted," Sakura offered a polite smile. Truthfully, she could not wait to leave Naruto's company. Without even glancing at her teammate, the green eyed girl headed towards the hospital. Kankuro quirked his head slightly confused. He did not let the Leaf shinobi's actions bother him long. He led the remaining shinobi to the office of the Kazekage.

"He'll be here soon." Naruto nodded and took a seat in one of the plush chairs across from Gaara's desk. His blue eyes wandered over the scene. Piles of paperwork littered the desk; scrolls lay here and there some open others practically untouched. There were shinobi files and role sheets. Mission lists and reports. It would seem that Gaara was quite busy with his job. Naruto sighed; it seemed like tedious, monotonous work, but he longed to fill that role. Deep within him, Naruto still harbored his childhood dream of becoming Hokage. He remembered even telling Gaara that one day they would be Kages together and there would be peace between their lands. But no, someone else would be Hokage, not him.

Naruto was pulled out of his thoughts by Gaara's entrance. The two shook hands, and Gaara took his seat. Naruto handed over the package from Konoha.

"It's good to see you, Gaara. You seem busy though."

"Un, they never mention that there would be this much paper work," Gaara's eyes scanned the mess on his desk. "But…" Naruto knew exactly what he meant. This job meant so much to him. The villagers had come to accept, respect, and even love him. Gaara would not trade his position for anything, despite the paperwork. "Rumor has it that the Hokage is considering retirement." The red-head added nonchalantly.

Naruto nodded. "I think Granny Tsunade misses her gambling." Naruto poked fun at his Hokage.

"Perhaps." Gaara still had not learned much about humor, Naruto thought to himself. "It's also rumored that you are on the top of the list for filling her spot. Is it true?" His pale eyes searched the shinobi intensely.

"I suppose, well that's what Granny told me," Naruto's gaze wandered to the nearby window.

"But…" Gaara noticed the hesitation in his friend's voice.

"But, I don't want it."

Gaara sat for a moment contemplating his friend, the man who saved his life. "And why not? This has been your dream."

"It's complicated. I just can't."

The Kazekage stared at the man before him. He had changed. His spirit had died. "It's the Uchiha isn't it?" Naruto did not answer; Gaara understood he had guessed correctly. "That's a shame. I was hoping to work with you. Oh well," the red-head let out a small sigh, "just keep an eye on whoever they appoint. I'm sure he will need your guidance, all of Konoha could use your guidance…" His deep voice trailed off. Naruto let out a small smile.

"I'll keep that in mind."

--

Sakura was pleased with the Sand's hospital staff. They were implementing much of Konoha's practices. They had only a few questions with the more difficult issues. She was glad the relationship between the Sand and the Leaf had flourished. She could only imagine how close the two villages would be once Naruto became Hokage. He and Gaara were already close; they had an understanding. Sakura smiled; the future would not be as dark as the past.

She finished making her rounds about the hospital, and went in search of Naruto. She found him as he was leaving the Kazekage's office. She smiled sweetly at the man with the pale eyes as he left for yet another meeting.

"Have a safe trip back. If you need anything…" Gaara had gotten into the habit of offering aid to Naruto if ever he should find himself in need. It had become somewhat of a routine between the two. Naruto smiled as the two shook hands.

"Take care. We'll be here if you ever need us." Naruto finished the routine. Though it had become like custom the words still rang true. Sakura waved her goodbye as she followed Naruto back into the desert.


	7. Answers

*Disclaimer: I do not own "Naruto" or any related characters*

* * *

The pair stocked up on water before heading off for the tree line that marked the way back to Konoha.

"Gaara seems to be doing well," Sakura said to no one in particular.

"He's busy, but he loves it." A twinge of jealousy rang in her teammate's voice.

Naruto and Sakura quickly made it back to the shelter of the trees; both were glad to be out of the desert. They journeyed on till night fell. Again, the pair performed the same routine. He gathered wood, she set traps, she started dinner, he set up the tent.

--

"So… what did you boys talk about?" Sakura warmed her hands by the fire.

"Nothing really."

"Oh, well." Sakura fumbled for words. "The hospital is doing well." Naruto grunted in response. "They are using a lot of our techniques now; it's saving a lot of time and energy for them." Still no response from Naruto.

"What? We can't even have small talk?" Sakura's voice held a seed of anger in it. Naruto simply sat there looking into the fire between them. She waited; still he did not respond. She glared at him—nothing. "I never thought you would turn out to be just like him."

"Like who?" Naruto's curiosity got the better of him.

"Like Sasuke." She spit out his name in anger. "You know he tossed me aside too. Now I guess it's your turn. Leave me like I'm nothing to you and break my heart. Thanks Naruto, because once is never enough." Her words dripped with sarcasm, anger, and hurt.

His blue eyes widened in shock at her words. He opened his mouth to retort, but what could he say? She was right wasn't she? He was ignoring her, pushing her away as much as he could. But, by his justification, it was for her own good. He only caused her pain. If he walked away, he couldn't hurt her anymore. His face fell refusing to look at her at all.

"What? Can't come up with an answer?" She looked at him, eyes ablaze. "What happened to us? I use to know you." Tears welled up in her irate eyes. He sat there in silence. "LOOK AT ME!" she screamed. At her sharp command, the shinobi's face shot up to meet hers. Her confusion, hurt, and anger were all visible on her countenance. "I love you, Naruto. Why can't you see that?" Her voice turned soft and vulnerable. She searched his deep blue eyes for some answer. He could not take it anymore.

"You just don't understand," he half mumbled to himself.

"What don't I understand? Tell me," the pink-haired woman pleaded.

"You think I can just forget about it? Thinks have changed and they will _never_ be the same," Naruto's voice raised slightly with emotion.

"What are you talking about?" Sakura pressed harder desperate to understand.

"Sakura, I killed him!" His voice boomed in the still forest. His eyes fell to his hands. He lifted them palms facing his gaze. "I killed him with these hands!" The once stoic man now shook in horror of himself. "I took the life of the man you loved. I made a promise to you that I would bring him back. AND I BROUGHT BACK A CORSPE!! I killed my best friend. I killed him." He paused, his breathing raspy and tight. "I don't deserve your love. I don't deserve to be Hokage. I don't deserve to live!" He began to shake harder; tears streamed down his face in torrents.

"Naruto…"

The pair seemed frozen in that moment. Their emotions were almost palpable in the evening air. Sakura slowly walked toward the sobbing shinobi. Her small hand reached out to him, to comfort him. Naruto rejected her attempt at comfort. He stood up and again turned his back to her. It hurt him so much.

"Naruto, it wasn't you," Sakura's voice was soft and sincere. "It wasn't your fault. It was mine…"


	8. Memories

*Disclaimer: I do not own "Naruto" or any related characters*

* * *

Sasuke had come to his home village not to return but to destroy. Many of Konoha's shinobi fell by the Uchiha's hand. Naruto came to face him in a desperate attempt to make him end his rampage against what was once his home. The battle between the two friends was intense to say the least. Sasuke seemed to thirst for the blood of his former teammate. He held back nothing. Naruto implored him, but his words fell upon deaf ears.

Sakura wanted to fight at Naruto's side, but the injured needed her. She tried to heal the wounded quickly in order to join the battle.

Sakura reached the scene of the battle just as Naruto's rasengan met flesh and tore a hole through the Uchiha's torso. The two fell to the ground, motionless. Sasuke's last chidori had wreaked havoc on Naruto's body; his flesh seemed ripped at every seam. Blood covered everything in sight.

Sakura looked at the two of them in horror. She rushed to them, chakra already gathering in her hands. She surveyed her two teammates; both were teetering on the verge of death and would need all her chakra to save them both. But the other wounded shinobi had drained her of much of her chakra already. She did not have enough to repair the damage to both; she only had enough to save one. She would have to choose between her teammates. Who would live; who would fall into the reaching hands of death?

With tears pouring from her eyes, she laid her healing hands on her best friend, on Naruto. She cried as she brought Naruto safely back into the land of the living. At the same time, she could feel her first love's chakra fade into oblivion. The medic-nin used her chakra to the point of complete exhaustion. She collapsed between her two teammates.

--

The scene was too horrible for words. Naruto, Sakura, Sasuke, lay side by side on the blood stained ground. They had at a time long since past, been able to call each other 'friend.' Now a dismal battlefield marked the end of that friendship; the splattered blood that soaked into the soil was not shed by anonymous enemies or unknown aggressors but rather by comrades, best friends. Sakura was told later, that even the Uchiha had been brought to tears in his last moments.

--

Sakura woke up in Konoha's hospital some time later. In the bed next to her lay the still form of Naruto. She could feel his life energy and knew he would pull through. The kunoichi cried and cried. She hated herself for not saving them both. Once again, when it mattered most, she fell short. Had she grown at all or was she still that weak pre-teen that had never been able to act when needed most? Sakura wept harder as she realized she did all within her power to do, but it was not enough. She had grown, but not enough. If only she had been stronger…

--

When Naruto finally came to, he did not ask about Sasuke. He knew he had dealt a killing strike. For a moment, the blonde ninja wished he had died alongside of the man he had once called friend. He hardly thought he could live with the knowledge of what he had done. Naruto did not think he could hate himself more for killing his best friend, but then he noticed the woman in the bed next to him. Sakura. Waves of self loathing washed over him. Tears of distain fell down his face. He let her down. He was too weak to fulfill the promise he had made to her.

--

A funeral was held for the fallen of Konoha, and for the wayward Uchiha. Naruto and Sakura stood side by side, both refusing to shed a tear. The pain was too great; they had become numb.

The remnant of Team 7 found themselves in familiar training grounds after the funeral. At that moment the two allowed themselves to crumble and succumb to their pent up emotions. They wept together, bitter tears of failure, loss, and guilt. They had held onto each other during those moments. Sakura cried into Naruto chest as he held her tight.

After that day, Naruto carefully and deliberately removed himself from the life of his last teammate.


	9. Living Again

*Disclaimer: I do not own "Naruto" or any related characters*

* * *

"Naruto, it was me. I'm the reason Sasuke died." Naruto spun around, eyes full of surprise and confusion. Sakura calmly told Naruto all that had happened after he had collapsed after his battle with Sasuke.

"Sakura… I never knew. But if I had been able to reach him, you would not have had to make that choice. It's still my fault."

"Maybe we both fell short; maybe we both were not strong enough. But Naruto, the man who came back to Konoha was not the same boy that left us all those years ago. Yes, I loved _that_ Sasuke. The Sasuke from Team 7, but the Sasuke that attacked our home was not the same. There was nothing we could do." Her words were honest and reached into the heart of her blonde teammate. She stepped towards him, shortening the distance between them. She stopped only when they were face to face. Her gentle green eyes met his dazzling blue. "Naruto, I chose _you_. I love _you._"

Naruto looked into the eyes of the woman he had loved since childhood as she confessed her love for him.

"But…" he began; she cut him off.

"No. No 'but's. Haven't we been through enough pain?" A weak smile passed Naruto's lips. He reached out his arms to her, she reached for him. The two embraced one another. He held her close as she melted into his arms.

"I love you Sakura." Naruto whispered in his love's ear. Sakura smiled

* * *

"Granny Tsunade!" Naruto bounded into the Hokage's office Sakura right by his side.

"Master, we have completed our mission," Sakura regarded her teacher with respect. Naruto, finally back to his old self, leaned up against the Hokage's desk with his goofy smile plastered over his face. Tsunade could not help but smile in return. Naruto you never cease to amaze me, she thought to herself.

"So, Granny, when do I become Hokage eh? Isn't it time you retired? I mean how old are you anyway?" The blonde cheerfully questioned Tsunade.

Tsunade's eyebrow twitched in annoyance. But she was too glad to have _this_ Naruto as opposed to the gloomy one, to do anything about his blatant disrespect.

"Thought you weren't interested?" she said, eying him quizzically.

"Now what would make you think that?" Naruto and Tsunade shared a knowing look.

* * *

Three weeks to the date after their return from Suna, Naruto proposed to Sakura.

12 months later, Naruto considered himself the luckiest man in the world—husband of his beautiful childhood love and Hokage of Konoha.

* * *

_Sorry the ending is so short; I'm not too good with the happy mushy stuff. I hope you enjoyed my first fanfic! Thanks for reading 3_


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